Detent for crimping machine



K. J. BATCHELLER ETAL 3,041,619

DETENT FOR CRIMPING MACHINE July 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 6, 1961 INVENTORS KENT J. BATCHELLER DANIEL R.McDOUGALL ATTORNEYS July 3, 1962 Filed June 6, 1961 K. .1. BATCHELLER ET AL 3,041,619

DETENT FOR CRIMPING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Til FIG?) INVENTORS KENT J. BATCHELLER Y DANIEL R. Mc DOUGALL B ATTORNEYS 3,041,619 DETENT FOR CRMING MACE-ENE Kent J. Batcheller, Newton, and Daniel R. McDougall, Salem, Mass, assignors to Kent Mfg. Cor-11., Newton Upper Falls, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed June 6, 1961, Ser. No. 115,161- 4- Claims. to]. 1-177 This invention relates to an improved detent for ,a machine for crimping electric connector members on the ends of wires. A machine of this kind is illustrated and described in U.S. Patent No. 2,930,044. For rapid and economical assembling of wires and electric connector members, the latter are supplied in connected series, customarily five hundred feet in length. The

series is fed into a crimping machine arranged to receive the stripped end of an insulated wire and operable to crimp the wire-gripping portion of the leading connector member in the series on the inserted end portion of a wire and at the same time to sever the leading connector member from the series. The series is then advanced just enough to bring the next leading member into position to be crimped on the end portion of another wire inserted for the purpose. The feeding of the series is done by a pawl which reciprocates in step with the rise and descent of the crimping tool. After a forward movement of the pawl to move the leading connector member into position to be crimped, it is important that the series be definitely held against any reverse movement when the pawl is retracted for the next feeding stroke. This is done by means of a detentacting on a portion of the series near the leading connector member. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved detent for a crimping machine of the kind hereinafter described.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description thereof, and to the drawings, of which FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a crimping machine having a detent embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation of the same;

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the detent shown in the other figures; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of part of a strip of electric connector members:

FIGURES l and 2 illustrate a crimping machine for electric connector members, this machine having a base and an upright frame 12 preferably integral with the base. At one end of the frame 12 a plunger 14 is vertically slidable. The plunger has an upper portion 16 adapted to be secured in a power press by which it is to be reciprocated to drive crimping tools 24, 26, carried by the plunger, down on the wire-gripping elements of an electric connector member supported on a suitable anvil 28 mounted on the base 10.

The machine is designed to operate on electric connector members 32 which are supplied to it in a series the units of which are joined to a continuous strip 34 by short necks 36. One form of connector member is shown in FIGURE 5 by way of example. The leading portion of the strip or series of connector members approaches the anvil 28 on a track 40 which may be a separate member removably secured to the base 10*. As the machine is operated, the strip is fed along the track 4t} step-bystep by means of a pawl 54 having a tooth 56 which rides in a shallow central channel 58 in the track 40 and engages behind the leading connector member in the series to push such member onto the anvil 28. The pawl 54 is pivotally attached to a disk 62 which is rocked about its axis by the reciprocation of a roller '72 mounted on an arm 74 carried by the plunger 14. The disk is rockably mounted on the frame 14 and has a recess 76 in its United States, Patent :0

' 2 periphery in which theroller 72 engages to rock the disk as the plunger 14 reciprocates and thereby to reciprocate the pawl 54. The pawl '54 is'pressed down by aspring 66 so that the tooth 56 bears on the track 40' but can slide over the next connector member on the track when the pawl is retracted so as to be position to push the next connector member onto the anvil when the pawl is hnext advanced. For reliable operationof the machine it is necessary that the strip of connector members be held firmly while the pawl is being retracted'so that its tooth 56 will engage behind the next connector member 32 which becomes the leading member of the series when the completion of the downward stroke of the plunger 14 severs the crimped connector member from the strip 34. It is also important that the strip be restrained from being projected beyond its proper position on the anvil when advanced by the sudden forward movement of the pawl 54. In earlier machines of this kind a drag shoe 80 has been employed to be pressed frictionally on a portion of the strip 34 by a compressed spring '82 within a vertical slide 83 which carries the shoe 80 and is slidable in suitable guideways in the frame 12. The spring 82 presses a plunger 84 upward against the cam surface'86 of a turn button 88 mounted on the frame 12. As indicated in FIGURE 1, the cam surface 86 is such that by turning the turn button 88, the plunger 84 can be allowed to move upward sufficiently to relieve the pressure of the spring 82 downward on the slide 83 and the shoe -80 carried thereby.

According to the present invention a tooth 90 is provided on thebottom of the shoe 80 and located in line with the necks 36 which connect the connector members 32 to the continuous strip 34. The tooth 90 projects below the bottom face of the shoe 80 a distance slightly less than the stock thickness of the necks 36 and strip 34-. For example, a commonly used gauge of metal for electric connector members 32 is 0.021. For use on a series of such connectors a shoe 8% with a tooth 90 extendingdown .018" to .020" may be employed. The forward face of the tooth W is perpendicular to the track to catch behind successive necks 36. The rear Since the leading connector member must be accurately placed on the anvil when the plunger carrying the crimping tools descends, and since at that moment the tooth should be engaged against the rear edge of a neck 36 in the series, it is necessary for the tooth 90 to be accurately spaced from the anvil, such spacing depending on the distances between the lines of centers of successive connector members in the series. As such distances can and do vary in series of different connector members, the spacing of the shoe 80 from the anvil must be adjusted accordingly. At present most connector members of the type illustrated are made with lines of centers spaced either 0.440 or 0.530". Hence, the shoe 80 is constructed to be secured to the slide 83 in either of two positions at corresponding distances from the anvil. For this purpose the shoe is removably secured against the lower part of the slide 83 and is provided with a horizontal rabbet groove 92 in which is slidably fitted a ridge 94 on the slide 83-. The shoe 80 is secured to the slide 83 by a screw 96 which passes through a horizontal slot 97 in the shoe and into a threaded hole in the slide 83. The screw 96 has a head 98 which fits into either of two countersinks 100', 102 which are carefully located to ensure proper spacing of Patented July 3,. 1962 the tooth 90 from the anvil 28 for connector members having either spacing between lines of centers. When a fresh series of connector members is to be iniser ed into t mach n he. u n t 8 s tu n t relieve the 82. To lift the shoe so that the tooth be clear of the track 40ito facilitate the insertion ior'removaltof ,a series of, connectors, a spring 104 installed in a bore in the base-10 directly below the slide .7

83 so that it presses against he bottom of the @slide.

When the spring 82 is relieved, the weaker spring 104 v, lifts tl1e slide 83and shoe SG tofacilitate insertion, ad-

justment or removal of a series of connector members under the shoe. a 'i .We claim:

,1 V 1. In'-a machine for crimping the wire-gripping portions, of electric connectors supplied thereto in a connected series, said machine having a base with a track thereon and an upright frame having a vertical guideway, .a detent slidable in said guideway, said detent comprising a. vertical member fitted in said guideway and a shoe on said member horizontally adjustable in the direction of 1 the track, a small tooth on the bottom ofsaid shoe arranged to catch behind a part of a connector member in a series on said track to hold said series positively against retrograde movement on said track, and releasable spring means pressing said shoe down on said track. 7 t V 2. Mechanism as described in claim 1, and means for positively securing said shoein any one of a plurality of positions of horizontal adjustment.

3. Mechanism as described in claim 1, said shoe having a horizontal rabbet groove fitted by a portion of the vertical member of detent, said shoe having a horizontal slot therethrough with a pluralityof countersinks, and

'a screw passing through said slot and threaded into said vertical member, said screw having a head fitting into any one of said countersinks to hold said shoe to said vertical member in a selected position of horizontal adjustment. i

4. Mechanism as described in claim 1, and spring means under said detent arranged to lift said detent when the first mentioned spring means is released,

No references cited. 

